Modi seeks Naveen’s support for Land Bill

New Delhi: Hours after BJD criticised the proposed Land Acquisition Bill in Lok Sabha yesterday, prime minister Narendra Modi reached out to the regional party president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his support to pass the bill.

National media like ‘The Times Of India’ reported “Modi promised Patnaik that the Centre would look into the grievances of Odisha. The meeting was part of the larger outreach to CMs of regional parties. The government has also accommodated the changes suggested by BJD in the land acquisition bill.”

Sources said, Modi has backed up his bid for support from regional parties by highlighting higher devolution of resources to the states because of the implementation of the Finance Commission’s recommendations as well as the Centre’s decision to share with states a larger share of the returns from allocation of coal blocks.

“I always wonder development for whom? Is it for Adani, Ambani or superrich individuals?”, Satpathy asked during the debate in Lok Sabha..

“Do not blindly support the bill as it would be against the good of many Indians, so withhold, withdraw and rethink upon it before pushing the ordinance into a law,” Satahpathy stressed.

He also drew attention of the House over his party’s election manifesto on different points such as panchayats must be consulted before acquiring lands, employment must be given to both boys and girls and finally both land losers and panchayats must be made shareholders of the proposed company or economic or commercial activities that would be set up on that land.